Adders fall
by Robotkitty5848
Summary: Adderkit was a normal kit with a normal life. Growing up he falls in love with the wrong cat. She ruins his life. To add onto that he's given a prophecy, and not a good one. When night falls forever will he do what he must to save the Clan? Adopted from Miston Dawn (On hold until further notice!)
1. Prologue

The only sound around was the rushing of water as two cats moved away from behind the falls.

The first cat, a pure black she-cat, sat down when she was about to hear fully, "I can see that ShadowClan is prospering."

"Yes, Redflower," the other, a orange and black spotted white tom purred. "But they will need to be prepared. Something bad is coming to all of the Clans."

"Are you sure, Spottedface? Can they not even get a few seasons of peace?"

"I'm sure. ShadowClan and WindClan will have to keep an eye on their kits." Spottedface narrowed his eyes. "We need to each deliver the prophecy to our medicine cats.

Redflower nodded, "I trust WindClan to make the best choices. But what _is_ the prophecy?"

Spottedface looked her straight in the eye.

" _Beware of the waves that flood the Clans. Only the Snake can face the rushing tide, but must fall to bring back the light."_

* * *

Alliances

ShadowClan

Leader- Timberstar: light brown she-cat with green eyes

Deputy- Oakleg: brown tabby tom with green eyes

Apprentice- Weaselpaw: ginger tom with blue eyes

Medicine cat- Ashnose: old gray tom with a white muzzle and blue eyes.

Apprentice- Speckledleaf: tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors:

Moleheart: brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Longwhisker: white tom with blue eyes

Gingerfur: ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice- Treepaw: brown tabby she-cat green eyes

Darkfoot: scarred black tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice- Adderpaw: black and white tom with amber eyes

Sweetfur: black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Queens:

Dovefeather: white she-cat with blue eyes

Wolfpelt: gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

* * *

WindClan

Leader- Thornstar: large white tom with amber eyes

Deputy- Graysky: gray she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine cat- Brightface: small ginger she-cat with white around her muzzle and green eyes

Warriors:

Amberfrost: ginger tom with white paws and blue eyes

Sharpthorn: white tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice- Riverpaw: gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Blossomflower: tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Greenfoot: gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Hawkbreeze: Thick-furred brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice- Rockpaw: black tom with blue eyes

Queens:

Swiftbird: lithe brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Spottedear: black and white she-cat with green eyes

* * *

ThunderClan

Leader- Palestar: light gray she-cat with a white muzzle and blue eyes. Blind in one eye

Apprentice- Stonepaw: gray tom with black tail and green eyes

Deputy- Mothsong: brown she-cat with green eyes

Medicine cat- Hollyburr: black she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice- Sootpaw: light gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Warriors:

Bluetuft: Thick-furred black tom with blue eyes

Mudnose: Brown tabby tom with green eyes

Apprentice- Cherrypaw: ginger she-cat with green eyes

Shadecloud: dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Sleekpelt: white she-cat with yellow eyes

Berryfoot: pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice- Emberpaw: ginger she-cat with green eyes

Queens:

Mintwhisker: white she-cat

* * *

RiverClan

Leader- Russetstar- ginger and white tom with green eyes

Deputy- Thistledawn: gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice- Maplepaw: ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine cat- Morningstream: white she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors:

Spiderfoot: white tom with amber eyes

Dawnwater: pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Loudthroat: black and gray tom with green eyes

Apprentice- Cinderpaw: gray tom with blue eyes

Mosspelt: gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice- Hazelpaw: light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Rippletail: light gray tom with blue eyes

Queens:

Badgerclaw: black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Silverfur: light gray she-cat with yellow eyes


	2. Chapter 1

Adderkit was excited, feeling energy run through his pelt. He would be an apprentice soon. He wondered who his mentor will be. Would he get the beautiful but strict she-cat Gingerfur? Maybe Timberstar herself!

The light brown she-cat had become leader when he was only a moon old. He couldn't remember the name of the tom who had been leader before her. He heard that she was called Timberheart while she was deputy.

Speaking of Timberstar, she was talking to her deputy Oakleg. But Oakleg was special to Adderkit for a different reason. The brown tabby tom was his father. His sister Treekit had his tabby fur and green eyes.

Adderkit was about to run over to his father when a light paw stepped on his tail.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Adderkit turned around to face his mother's warm amber eyes. The white queen had black spots all over her pelt and muzzle. He had received her fur and eye color.

"I want to play with Father," he meowed.

"Is that so?" Sweetfur purred. "But he's busy right now. Why don't you play with Treekit?"

"She's hanging onto Weaselpaw." Just saying the ginger tom's name made Adderkit annoyed. Ever since he became an apprentice, he started becoming bossier. He didn't understand why Treekit would want to hang out with him.

"Maybe you should join them," Sweetfur licked her paw. "You could learn something from him. He is the only apprentice."

"No thanks. I think I'll hanging out with Thrushkit and Lionkit."

Dovefeather's kits were four moons younger than Adderkit and Treekit, so they had more energy. He felt like an older sibling to them. Thrushkit had white fur and blue eyes, a copy of her mother while Lionkit had golden spotted fur. His eyes were amber, like the lions that he heard nursery tales about.

The other queen Wolfpelt, a gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes, was in the nursery, but had no kits of her own. But Sweetfur said they were going to come. But from where?

Adderkit's mother sighed, "Very well. I'm sure that you could keep them busy while Dovefeather goes on a walk."

Adderkit raced over to the nursery, but froze when he saw that Weaselpaw was placing new moss inside. When he noticed Adderkit enter, he turned his icy blue gaze on him.

"Adderkit, please get out. I'm not done yet. And don't think I haven't noticed that you made such a mess with the moss."

"I have not! Where are every cat?"

Weaselpaw shrugged, "I don't know. We don't have any elders since Snakewillow passed."

The name was foreign, so it must have been before his birth.

* * *

"I can't wait to be apprenticed!" Treekit squeaked. "I hope I get a good mentor. Maybe Moleheart or Longwhisker."

"We have to wait soooo much longer," Lionkit meowed.

"Four whole moons until we are helpful to the Clan." Thrushkit nodded.

"I'm sure you will be helpful one day," Adderkit assured her. "I'll put in a good word for you."

The four kits had gathered outside of the nursery so that they could give their mothers and Wolfpelt some peace. It was also to give Sweetfur something before going to the apprentice den. He would make sure that she had the freshest prey and softest bedding.

"Hey, the hunting patrol is back," Lionkit alerted them as three cats come back with prey in their jaws.

The first was Gingerfur, who was carrying two birds and a mouse. behind her was Moleheart. The amber-eyed brown tabby had a large rabbit. The last cat, Longwhisker, was carrying a plush blackbird in his mouth. The white tom had a bright gleam in his light blue gaze.

"Look at that rabbit!" Treekit was in awe.

"It looks good," Adderkit's belly rumbled, reminding him that he had not eaten yet.

"I love rabbit," Lionkit dug his claws into the grass under him. "When I'm an apprentice, I'm going to get loads of rabbits."

"If you love rabbits so much, then maybe you should join WindClan," Adderkit teased.

"No way. Then I would have to leave my mom and sister."

Thrushkit didn't speak, but she nodded at her brother in agreement. It was clear to him that she had none of her brother's confidence. Maybe becoming a warrior would help her.

"You kits are outside. Perfect."

A soft voice interrupted their conversation as the owner of that sentence padded over to them. The tortoiseshell she-cat gave them a friendly look.

"Hi Speckledleaf," Thrushkit spoke up. She gazed up at her with admiration. Did she want to be the next medicine cat? But they already had two medicine cats.

The medicine cat apprentice's blue eyes were gentle as she looked at all four of them, "I'd like you all to catch all the butterflies around Ashnose's den. He's been complaining about them for days."

Adderkit felt a bit of confidence fade away a bit. Ashnose was a cranky cat and was scary when he was angry. He had a no-nonsense way of life. He felt a bit sorry for Speckledleaf. But she didn't seem too pressure from what Adderkit has seen. She is too gentle to be bothered that easily.

"Let's go teach those butterflies a lesson," Lionkit announced. "Come on, KitClan. Lionstar will guide the way."

"You mean Treestar," Treekit pushed him slightly as they sped over to the medicine cat den. As they arrived, Ashnose stepped out. The blue-eyed gray tom walked over to the kits.

"Too long enough," Ashnose croaked. "I can't get any peace with this racket. I can't help Darkfoot with this distraction."

"It's alright."

Darkfoot followed Ashnose out, his yellow gaze looking uninterested, "It's just a scratch. I'll be fine."

Adderkit guessed that even a single scratch wouldn't bother the black-furred tom. He had scars among his flank and across his nose. There was a nick in his left ear, while the other had a small scar. This was a tom that saw battle and Adderkit admired his strength. Would he ever get that strong?


	3. Chapter 2

Adderpaw didn't say a word as he followed Darkfoot, but his heart was pounding harder than usual. Timberstar had chosen a really strict mentor. But her green eyes were so happy when she gave her own former apprentice one of his own. Would Adderpaw ever impress the black tom?

"Our territory is so big!" Treepaw spoke up as she and Gingerfur joined them. They had already shown them the land. Who knew what those enemy Clans were thinking?

"You'll get used to it," the ginger she-cat responded, annoyance in her green eyes. "You should make sure to guard it well. ShadowClan has always been strong and you'll keep it strong."

"She's right," Darkfoot nodded, yellow eyes on the lighter ThunderClan trees. "Cats can hide anywhere with enough stealth."

"No Clan will mess with us," Adderpaw puffed out his chest. He would do his best to defend his family and Clanmates from any predator.

"Big words for a cat your size," Treepaw teased. "A mouse could beat you in a tussle."

"Speaking of prey," Gingerfur cut her apprentice off before she could go any further. "Today we are going to teach you how to hunt. Now that you've learned the land, use it to your every advantage."

"It's also good for battle," Darkfoot agreed. "Hiding will give you the element of surprise. That has been used by ShadowClan for many generations. We might not have WindClan's speed or RiverClan's grace in water, but we have that."

"First you smell for prey and track it down. Don't move at all. Once you find it, crouch like this," Gingerfur moved like a snake as she readied herself in a crouch. She kept her tail off the ground as she softly moved her paws along the ground. Wiggling a bit, she leaped at a nearby bush.

A loud squeak hit the air and then Gingerfur emerged, the limp body of a mouse hanging from her jaws.

"Now that you've seen how it's done, do it yourselves," Darkfoot instructed. "Remember to keep yourself low and make sure that your tail isn't dragging on the ground. Especially with leaves on the ground."

Treepaw and Adderpaw obeyed, trying their best to copy Gingerfur. But they didn't have any of her grace, at least not yet. Adderpaw guessed that their mentors could tell.

"Keep your tail still!" Gingerfur hissed at Treepaw. "Your prey will hear and see you before you see them."

"Put more weight on your left side," Darkfoot rolled his eyes at Adderpaw. "Wolfpelt would be better at balancing at you, and she has a belly full of kits!"

Taking a deep breath, the siblings tried again, not getting much better than the first time.

Gingerfur huffed, before her eyes met Darkfoot's, "We have a _lot_ of work ahead of us. We will have to be patient."

* * *

Adderpaw had finally mastered his crouch and caught a squirrel one his first afternoon. The squirrel was almost bigger than he was and he actually got a small complement out of his strict mentor. With Darkfoot as his mentor, surely he'd get stronger.

Treepaw was jealous of him, he could tell. She had refused to talk to him the rest of the day. Her two attempts of catching prey had failed. She had stepped on a branch, making a bird fly away. Twice.

"Want to share prey with me?" Adderpaw asked his sister. "I'm sure you'll get something tomorrow."

"No thanks," she brushed him off. "I'm already sharing prey with Weaselpaw. I already told him I would."

"You'd rather share prey with that furball than with your own brother?" Adderpaw growled at that. Why didn't she see how cocky that tom was? He was an annoying pest!

"He's not a furball. If you actually tried to talk to him, you would see. But you have to find some reason to hate him when he's done nothing wrong. And I promised him I would," Treepaw hissed, turning her back on him. "Go and eat with the kits if you are going to act like one."

 _Lionkit and Thrushkit are so much more respectful than that mouse-heart!_

Feeling his heart sink a bit, he took a shrew from the fresh-kill pile and went to eat beside Dovefeather's kits.

"You caught that squirrel by yourself?" Lionkit looked up at him in awe. "That's so cool! When we become an apprentice, will you teach me and Thrushkit how to hunt squirrels?"

"Both of us?" Thrushkit shot her brother a worried look. When she saw Adderpaw staring at her, she dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Of course," Lionkit nudged his sister. "I want to do everything together! Dovefeather will be so proud!"

"Your mentors will teach you," Adderpaw reminded them. "And this is only my first day. I got lucky with this squirrel. It must have been half asleep or something."

"Right," Thrushkit softly nodded, her ears slightly back.

"Yeah," Adderpaw looked around to avoid the awkward atmosphere. Unfortunately his eyes landed on Treepaw and Weaselpaw sharing a large rabbit. He glared at them. Weaselpaw for being annoying. His sister for chosing to eat with him instead.

As he got up after his meal, he heard Lionkit ask his sister a question.

"Hey, Thrushkit. Are you alright? Every time Adderpaw gets near us, you suddenly get all quiet? You seem a bit distant."

* * *

When it was time to sleep that night, Sweetfur had quickly asked about him at the entrance of the warriors den.

"How was your first day as an apprentice, honey?"

"It was great," Adderpaw yawned as he padded into his new den. Treepaw was curled against Weaselpaw, her back to Adderpaw in the middle of the den. He sighed as he got into the nest on the far right, feeling alone. Maybe tomorrow would be much better. He didn't have much hope.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **I left this story on hold for a little too long. I plan on writing for it more frequently since I have the time.**


	4. Chapter 3

Adderpaw felt a bit sore as he padded back to camp after a training session with Darkfoot. He had been harder on him when it came to fighting.

"Hunting is important, but to me, fighting is so much more. Being able to defend against enemies can benefit a lot more than spending most of the time chasing squirrels in trees."

The scarred tom had said this with narrowed eyes, as if he wanted Adderpaw to absorb all of his words of advice. He had reluctantly agreed, not wanting to feel the black tom's sharp tongue.

Treepaw looked just as tired as she made her way over to him, brown tabby fur looking messier than usual.

"Gingerfur is so strict when battle training," She complained, rubbing her face with a paw. "I'm going to be so sore."

"I already am," Adderpaw admitted. "Darkfoot is so tough. Those battle wounds really aren't for nothing."

"We have to train as hard as we can. We don't want to disappoint our mentors. Maybe we'll get used to such vigorous training."

"If it helps me become a strong warrior, than I'll take the pain."

"Don't over do it, mouse-brain," Treepaw took a spot beside the apprentice den and began cleaning herself.

"I'll try," Adderpaw looked around. "Where's the annoying furball?"

"He's cleaning out the nursery," Treepaw glared at him. "And he's not annoying."

"To you maybe," he huffed. "He gets on my last nerve."

"Well I like him," Treepaw turned her back on him, resuming her washing.

Ignoring her grouchy behavior, he made his way over to his mother.

Sweetfur was talking with Longwhisker. The black and white she-cat had pride in her voice.

"I can see how much they are learning. But I miss when they were kits. Adderpaw was so small and squirmed a lot. Never did like his ears licked."

"He looks so much like you," Longwhisker purred. "While Treepaw is a miniature Oakleg. His eyes and everything."

"True," she nodded, noticing Adderpaw approaching. "Hey, honey, do you enjoy training?"

"Yes," he lied, not wanting to break his mother's heart. "Darkfoot is a great mentor."

"He can be pretty fierce," Longwhisker nodded. "He has been ever since Dustflower was killed in that fight with WindClan. He's hated that Clan since."

"Which warrior killed her?" Adderpaw was curious, ignoring the annoyed look on his mother's face for asking something like that.

"Sharpthorn. He's one of their most aggressive cats. Quick and deadly. They've hated each other since they were apprentices. Every time our Clans fight, those cats go at each other."

So Darkfoot was fighting for his murdered mate? Adderpaw felt a shiver of respect for his mentor. Was that why he trained so hard, to make sure he didn't lose another Clanmate? Would Adderpaw ever have that attitude? He didn't have a mate, but he had his family. He dug out his claws. No cat would cause harm to his family if he had any say in it.

* * *

"I caught the most prey today," Weaselpaw bragged as he and Adderpaw carried what they caught on the fresh-kill pile. Adderpaw didn't have much luck, two measly shrews. Weaselpaw had caught a rabbit, thrush, and a squirrel. He just got lucky.

"Good job. Give that rabbit to the nursery and then go get yourself some food," Oakleg praised his apprentice before giving Adderpaw a look of complete disappointment. "While Weaselpaw's doing that, you can clean their nests."

That was completely boring! Adderpaw opened his mouth to whine but his father was faster.

"You may as well," he flicked a tail. "Get the moss from Ashnose's den. Luckily Speckledleaf brought back a whole bunch earlier."

"Hah," Weaselpaw teased into his ear. "Have fun with the moss."

"Shut up, mouse-brain," he muttered back as he made his way to the medicine cat den, his tail lashing silently. It wasn't his fault that the prey were all hiding! At least he brought back _something!_

Speckledleaf was sorting through her herbs when he entered, her tortoiseshell fur glowing from the light coming in her den. Ashnose must be taking care of a denmate. She turned around when he entered, blue gaze gentle and kind.

"Hello, Adderpaw, what can I do for you?"

"Where's Ashnose?" he asked, hoping to stall a bit by talking. It must have worked because she sat down.

"Moleheart had a cold and he's checking up on him right now in the warriors den. Did you need me to get him?" She got back to her paws, tail lightly moving.

"I'm here for moss," he grumbled, not wanting to deal with the old gray medicine cat. His grumpiness must have shown because she spoke up, turning away from what she had been doing.

"Oakleg asked you to clean the nursery?" she guessed with her head tilted a bit.

"Yes, while he let Weaselpaw bring them food and eat. Ever since that furball became my father's apprentice, Oakleg doesn't care for me anymore."

"So you feel replaced?" Speckledleaf put her tail on his shoulder. "He would never replace you. He's just making sure Weaselpaw becomes a good warrior. And I know he feels the same way about you."

"You sure?"

"Positive. He was so proud when you two were born and had promised Sweetfur that he'd be a good father. You might want to tell Oakleg how you feel. Then maybe he would try harder."

"I will," Adderpaw brightened up a bit. "Thank you so much, Speckledleaf. I can see why you're a medicine cat. I feel so much better now."

"That's what I'm here for, Adderpaw. Now, follow me," she purred. "You have some moss to get. I'm sure Lionkit and Thrushkit would be willing to help you clean. Dovefeather has some respectful kits. They'll be good warriors."


	5. Chapter 4

Adderpaw kept himself low to the ground as he followed the scent of mouse. The creature was nibbling at a flower, unaware of the danger it was in. He jumped when he felt it was right. But he didn't catch it.

He was thrown off balance when he had bumped into another cat. He got back up, ready to apologize. Until he realized who bumped into him.

"Weaselpaw, you made me lose that mouse!"

"That was my chase," the arrogant ginger tom hissed back. "It's not my fault you weren't paying attention."

"I did pay attention," Adderpaw lashed his tail, ready to pounce on his annoying Clanmate.

"You should have scented me."

"You slammed into me too, mouse-brain!"

"Whatever," Weaselpaw glared at him. "I'm going after something else. Unless you want to mess up that hunt as well?"

"I'm going far from you."

"Good," Weaselpaw put his nose in the air as he whispered one last line. "It's a shame that Treepaw wasn't the only kit your parents had."

"You shouldn't have been born," Adderpaw muttered when he left, feeling hunger and irritation spread through him like a fire.

 _Treepaw, what do you even_ see _in this pesky furball!_

* * *

Being left alone with his thoughts had calmed him down a bit and he was able to bring back three blackbirds and a mouse.

"Good work," Oakleg went over to his son and licked his ears. "You and Weaselpaw brought back so much today. Treepaw is training with Gingerfur right now. You two have grown a bit."

"Thank you," Adderpaw perked up at his father's praise. It was a bit unexpected to him. But it was great all the same.

"How about you take something to Dovefeather and Wolfpelt? I'm sure they would be happy."

"Alright," he dropped the mouse onto the pile and took the birds with him.

Dovefeather was telling her kits a story when he arrived, Lionkit and Thrushkit staring at their mother with excitement. Wolfpelt was sleeping, her tabby fur moving slightly. She opened her amber eyes when she heard him enter.

"Morning, Adderpaw."

"It's past morning," he reminded her, being he got up around sunhigh.

"I always consider when I wake up morning," Wolfpelt purred. "Are those birds for us? Oh, I'm hungry."

"Thank you, Adderpaw," Dovefeather nodded as her kits stared at his prey with their mouths watering.

"Can we have some?" Thrushkit asked her mother, tail down a bit.

"Please?" Lionkit begged.

"Alright," Dovefeather took a blackbird and put it between them. "You two can share."

As soon as she said that, they began to tear into it. Adderpaw felt amusement as he remembered when he tried prey for the first time.

He had been hesitant at first, his sister trying it first. Once he had the first bite of mouse, he began to gobble it down. Seeing Thrushkit and Lionkit's reaction made him feel warm inside. He couldn't wait until they were in the apprentice den and Weaselpaw was out. Then maybe he would hang out with Treepaw more. It was boring only having two denmates, one an annoying pest.

* * *

Adderpaw made his way back to camp after a training session with Darkfoot had worn him out, his mentor being as strict and fierce as always. But Adderpaw didn't mind it as much. Everytime pain screamed at him, he reminded himself that it was for his Clan. He would learn to get used to pain. Every warrior surely felt this way.

Darkfoot was talking with Oakleg and Timberstar. The leader had her tail curled around her legs and seemed to be laughing at something he was saying. Even his father seemed pleased. Not wanting to bother the older cats, Adderpaw moved his gaze. Sweetfur was grooming herself beside the nursery as Lionkit and Thrushkit played, Dovefeather and Wolfpelt watching from a safe distance. He curled his lip at Weaselpaw and Treepaw chatting with Longwhisker.

Feeling unusually lonely, he padded over to the medicine den. Maybe Speckledleaf would like to chat with him. Maybe even needed him to protect her as she went to collect herbs. He knew nothing about leaves, but maybe he would learn something new. But she wasn't in there when he entered.

Ashnose lifted his head at the rustling of the entrance but his eyes narrowed when he saw Adderpaw.

"What is it, Adderpaw? Don't tell me that you're sick. I had to deal with Gingerfur earlier today. There's nothing more annoying than a she-cat with a stomachache. Surprised that she didn't give any scars!"

"I'm fine," he admitted. "I wanted to know where Speckledleaf was."

"Out collecting herbs," Ashnose snorted. "Like she should be doing. Remember one thing, Adderpaw. She is going to be the next medicine cat of this Clan. She doesn't have the time or destiny to be friends with a tom."

"What does me being a tom have to do with anything?" Adderpaw flicked his ear in annoyance. Speckledleaf had every right to be friends with whoever she wanted to.

"I've heard the stories of she-cats breaking the medicine cat code by having kits. And of medicine cat toms breaking this code. StarClan always finds a way to punish them. Always," Ashnose warned, blue eyes sharp as he continued. "I'm keeping her away from any toms her age as much as I can. Like my mentor did with me."

"Did your mentor?"

"He had kits with a young she-cat. Their kits had been born dead. That night their mother died as well, birth of four kits being too much for her tiny body. She hadn't even been a warrior for a moon."

"I had never heard of this," Adderpaw was horrified at the thought.

"My mentor and I hid the secret well," Ashnose huffed in a ragged chuckle. "The tom every cat had assumed was the father died a moon after that."

"You don't have to worry," Adderpaw took a small step back. "I don't have any interest in being Speckledleaf's mate."

"Make sure you keep those words."

"What words?"

Speckledleaf had appeared behind them, a huge pile of herbs in her mouth.

"Nothing," Ashnose sat down. "Good amount of herbs right there. Now I don't have to ask any other Clan for more at the Gathering tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 5

Adderpaw had heard that there were a lot of cats in the other Clans, but he felt very crowded. Darkfoot had to push him twice to make sure that he didn't bump into any cats.

"Excuse me," his ears flicked back as he squeezed between two queens. From the scent of them, both were from RiverClan.

"Look at that apprentice, Badgerclaw," the light gray she-cat pointed at him. "He's small."

"Apprentice start out so young," Badgerclaw licked her black and white pelt, amber eyes watching with little interest. "I forgot how small they are in size, Silverfur."

"You would be bigger with a belly full of kits," Silverfur laughed. "Hopefully they arrive in the next moon."

"They should," Adderpaw looked up as Sweetfur joined them. "I see you saw my son."

"You are practically flowing with grace after spending so much time in the nursery," Badgerclaw yawned.

"I made sure to push myself after leaving the nursery. It feels so good to finally run again."

Adderpaw turned away from the she-cats, not interested in hearing them exchange stories about kits. He glanced around for cats his age.

Weaselpaw and Treepaw were hanging out with the ThunderClan apprentices. Two ginger she-cats and a gray tom with a tail completely black. Would his warrior name end in tail?

"You must be new. I've never seen you before."

Adderpaw turned at the sweetest voice he had ever heard. And he was glad he did. The owner was a gray tabby she-cat only a bit smaller than him. Her blue gaze was gentle, reminding him of the sky during sunhigh.

"It's my first gathering," he admitted when he got the courage to speak. He didn't want to leave a bad first impression on this apprentice. She was lean, so she must be a WindClan cat.

"Is that so? Well, come with me then. I'll take you to meet some of the others. I'm Riverpaw. And you?"

"Adderpaw," he let her lead the way, admiring how she swerved around cats, not bumping into one once. He felt warm at the realization that he must appear foolish. Stumbling after a she-cat he just met.

Riverpaw stopped at two toms, "What's new in RiverClan, Cinderpaw?"

"Silverfur had her kits," the gray tom flicked his tail. "Spiderfoot stayed back to watch them since she missed being at Gatherings."

"But she's still a fighter, so don't assume we are weak," his light brown tabby companion didn't seem as friendly, yellow eyes meeting Adderpaw's. "Riverpaw, who's this?"

"Adderpaw," Riverpaw introduced them. "This is Hazelpaw. Warning, he has a sharp tongue."

"Thanks for that," Hazelpaw rolled his eyes before giving Adderpaw a once-over. "You have a lot of work before you can fight any of us."

"Excuse me?" Adderpaw felt his fur fluff up a bit at the rude remark, but the RiverClan cat didn't bat an eye.

"You heard me," Hazelpaw huffed. "It's good to evaluate your rivals when you aren't fighting."

"He is new," Cinderpaw defended. "He'll grow."

"And I plan on being the best," Adderpaw nodded, locking eyes with Hazelpaw. "I will do all that I can until I have your respect."

"Good luck with that, kit," Hazelpaw huffed.

"The leaders are together," Cinderpaw alerted them, "I think they are about to start."

"Timberstar is my leader," Adderpaw raised his head a bit to see the four leaders better. "She's a wise cat."

"Mine is Thornstar," Riverpaw pointed at the large white tom with amber eyes. "That's a tom that you don't want to mess with."

"Russetstar is the wisest leader," Hazelpaw huffed, referring to the green-eyed ginger and white tom. "I wish that I had gotten him as a mentor instead of soft-hearted Mosspelt."

"Russetstar had a reason for his choice," Cinderpaw lifted his tail. "The last cat is Palestar. She lost sight in one eye while fighting a dog. Nasty creatures."

Palestar must have been the oldest leader, her muzzle whitened by age, her blind eye standing out from the other dark blue one. She must have been a fierce warrior. He let himself get comfortable as the leaders began.

* * *

"That was completely boring," Hazelpaw yawned. "Not a single fight or mention of prey stealing. I wasn't expecting this Gathering to be so dull."

"A dull Gathering is better than a bloody one," Cinderpaw pushed his brother. "See ya later, Riverpaw. Adderpaw."

"Bye Riverpaw. Kit."

The RiverClan apprentices went to go find their mentors, leaving Adderpaw alone with the lovely WindClan apprentice.

"You seem interesting," Riverpaw admitted to him once the toms were gone. "There's nothing wrong with being friends with cats from other Clans."

"I agree," he sighed.

"How about we secretly meet up here in a quarter-moon? Around moonhigh?"

"Alright."

"There you are, Riverpaw," a black tom joined them, blue eyes full of annoyance. "I wasn't able to find you in this big crowd. I leave you alone and you go to a ShadowClan cat." He glared at Adderpaw as he said this.

"Oh, leave him alone, Rockpaw," Riverpaw huffed. "You aren't my mentor and have no right to tell me what to do."

"I'm doing what a tom should do with his mate," he replied, flicking his tail. "If you don't hurry, you'll get left behind."

She padded past him with a growl. "You aren't my mate."

Adderpaw left as well, not wanting to deal with an annoying WindClan tom. Weaselpaw was annoying enough to last a lifetime. He didn't need two.

"How was it?" Darkfoot asked him as the Clan padded back to camp, their heads held high. "Pretty full?"

"Yeah," Adderpaw couldn't help thinking about the cat he just met. The cat who wanted to secretly meet up with him. He knew it wasn't following the code, but it was only going to be one time. He'd prove his loyalty by doing his best. He could do both.


	7. Chapter 6

Adderpaw groaned as he rolled over, letting his eyes open as Darkfoot tapped his paw impatiently outside of the den. The scarred tom let out a large huff at him.

"It's after sunhigh, Adderpaw. How did I get the laziest apprentice in all of the Clans?"

"How did I get such a grumpy mentor?" he retaliated with a flick of his tail.

"Go through what I've been through. That will make you grumpy alright," Darkfoot rolled his eyes. "Ashnose wants you today."

"Huh?" Adderpaw was confused. "But I'm not his apprentice. I'm going to be a warrior."

"That's why you're going with him and not Speckledleaf."

"Where are we going?"

"I need to ask Brightface for goldenrod. It can only grow in WindClan territory. The Clans aren't at war, so I don't need a fully grown warrior for this."

Adderpaw lifted his head when he saw Ashnose padding over, complete boredom on the medicine cat's face. "I already got Timberstar's permission."

"We are going now?"

"Of course," Ashnose sniffed. "The sooner the better. I don't want to be out of ShadowClan territory for too long. Thank goodness for Speckledleaf. She already knows all that she can. Should I die soon, the Clan will be in good paws."

"You seem so calm about death," Adderpaw found himself speaking his mind. "As if you aren't even scared of it."

"That's because I've seen so much of it," the old gray tom let a wicked chuckle escape. "I know my time is coming. I've been alive even longer than Timberstar herself. I'm much closer to death than you are. But death can come at any moment. A sickness taking hold and being stronger than any herb. The swift cut of claws against the throat. The crunch of a monster slamming into your side."

"I get it," Adderpaw closed his mouth, a bit wary of the older tom. But he couldn't deny that Ashnose had wisdom. Wisdom that he will pass down to Speckledleaf. And she'd pass that down to the cat after her. And so on.

* * *

Adderpaw waited at the border with Ashnose feeling a bit of fear and excitement. He'd be in the camp of an enemy Clan, but Riverpaw would be there. It had been three nights after the Gathering and he still felt excited to see her. But she wasn't in the patrol that they ran into.

The first cat was a gentle gray she-cat with blue eyes. She held herself with pride and he recognized Graysky, the deputy. Sweetfur had given him a swift lesson on the deputies. Graysky was the fastest cat in WindClan, being a danger to fight alone.

"Hello Ashnose," Graysky nodded to the medicine cat. "Do you have business with WindClan?"

"Only with Brightface," He huffed. "I can wait for her here."

"You're coming with us," the other she-cat hissed, her tortoiseshell fur fluffed out, tail lashing. "Business with our medicine cat is the whole Clan's business."

"There's no need for that, Blossomflower," Graysky glanced back at her Clanmate. "He isn't dangerous. He only brought an apprentice with him."

"She has a point," the other warrior reminded her. "You know how deceiving ShadowClan cats are." The thick-furred brown tom flicked an ear.

"Yeah," Rockpaw locked eyes with Adderpaw. "You don't know what those snakes are thinking."

"Listen here, rabbit-breath," Adderpaw took a step forward, but Ashnose held him back.

"Don't!" he hissed into Adderpaw's ear. "We aren't here to fight."

"Hawkbreeze, watch your apprentice," Graysky scolded the brown tom. "It's bad for him to always trying to pick fights with the other Clans."

"Hmph," Hawkbreeze huffed, tail lowering slightly.

"Come with us then," Graysky turned back to Ashnose with an apologetic nod. "Ignore my Clanmates."

"But don't try anything," Blossomflower glared at Ashnose. "Medicine cat or not, I'm not afraid to leave any more scars on you."

"If you attacked first, than it'll be attack on ShadowClan when we only wanted peace," Ashnose wasn't fazed by her. "It wouldn't be very noble to attack a medicine cat."

"Don't get cocky," Hawkbreeze growled low in his throat. "You're on our land, old tom."

"Come on," Graysky glared at her Clanmates. "You're being too noisy. Hawkbreeze, take Rockpaw and go hunt. I want to see more than three pieces of prey each. Got it?"

"Fine," Rockpaw rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Silence," Hawkbreeze nudged him, disappearing into the trees.

* * *

When they arrived, Adderpaw kept his eyes out for Riverpaw. He saw her near the fresh-kill pile, talking with a black and white queen. He waved a tail at them, getting a nod back from the other apprentice. The queen gave a lazy wave of her own.

Thornstar stopped grooming himself and glanced down at Adderpaw and Ashnose. "What are you doing in our camp? Surely what you need could wait until the next Gathering?"

"It's business with your medicine cat," Ashnose spoke up without hesitation as cats gave him suspicious looks. "It's nothing that should bother you."

"So you came for that goldenrod?"

The next cat to speak was a small ginger she-cat. Her muzzle was white and nose a bright pink. This was not a cat who had been in dangerous battles. She almost seemed like a kittypet.

"Yes," Ashnose let his fur relax when he saw the she-cat. "Just in time, Brightface. I ran out a couple of sunrises ago. I'd rather get more so that I have it for emergencies."

"Of course," Brightface chuckled a bit. "Come with me."

"What about me?" Adderpaw asked Ashnose. "Did you need my help to carry them?"

"I got it," Ashnose brushed him off. "Just stay there."

"Ok," Adderpaw sat down as the medicine cats disappeared into the den. He glanced around as a white tom went over to Thornstar.

"Are you sure that we should trust them?" the warrior lashed his tail. "What if he ends up killing our medicine cat."

"If that happens, he will be killed," Thornstar reassured his warrior. "They come in peace, Sharpthorn. I will not be the first to bloody my paws."

 _Sharpthorn! That cat who murdered Darkfoot's mate!_

Adderpaw made sure not to meet his sharp yellow eyes. He couldn't let himself be singled out by a dangerous cat. Riverpaw's laugh broke through his thoughts.

"That's great, Spottedear!"

"That's kits for you," Spottedear responded with a purr of her own. "They can be the silliest little things."


	8. Chapter 7

Adderpaw felt a bit relieved when he made it to Fourtrees without being spotted. Luckily Sweetfur was the guard and not a cat like Gingerfur. He'd rather avoid getting his ears clawed. Or getting in trouble with Timberstar. Would he have to remain an apprentice while Treepaw gets her name first? Would he be exiled?

He sat up a bit taller as a slender shape joined him. The cat was a she-cat so he felt calm. It was Riverpaw.

"You came?" the gray tabby she-cat purred. "Was it hard to get out of camp?"

"My mother is on guard," he shook his fur out a bit. "She isn't the hardest to sneak past."

"That so?" Riverpaw mused. "But that's not why I'm here. I came to ask you to join us."

"Us?"

"Yes. Me, Hazelpaw, Cinderpaw, and most of the other apprentices," Riverpaw looked him straight in the eye. "It's a place we can only visit when asleep."

"I don't know," Adderpaw was a bit confused. Getting to a place by falling sleep?

 _Medicine cats are visited in dreams! But I'm not a medicine cat._

"You don't want to go there with me? I guess that means you won't want to keep meeting with me? I wanted to be your friend." Riverpaw pouted, her tail dragging on the ground, blue eyes saddened. It pulled on his heart, making him speak.

"That's not what I meant!" he reassured softly. "I'll go there with you. If it makes you happy. I want to be your friend."

"You will?" she perked up, tip of her tail twitching with joy. "I'll let the others know."

"What kind of place is it, anyway?" Adderpaw asked. "What will we be doing there?"

"It's a surprise," Riverpaw winked at him. "But it's a nice one. This is something that can benefit all the Clan."

"If every apprentice were friends, that could help when we become warriors. There would be no reason to fight one another," Adderpaw nodded. "A safe way to get peace."

"Peace is what we all want," she replied. "But it won't be easy to get to. As long as we all try our hardest to be the best warriors we can be."

"Of course," Adderpaw got to paws with an idea. "Want to play leader?"

"Sure," she jumped onto the leaders' spot without hesitation. "Cats of all Clans, WindClan is the best and the rest of you are kittypets!"

"That is a lie, Riverstar," Adderpaw joined in. "ShadowClan are better. WindClan is the one full of Twoleg pets."

"You are wrong, Adderstar!" She tried to best to look angry, but she kept giggling.

"I never lie," he puffed out his chest. "This Gathering is over."

Adderpaw and Riverpaw jumped down with loud purrs. They were so close that their fur almost brushed. Almost.

Adderpaw felt a pang of sadness that she wasn't in the same Clan as him. Maybe their Clans could trade Weaselpaw for her. A winning situation for him.

"I'll see you soon. Meet me in three nights." Riverpaw placed her nose on his, startling him a bit. Her blue gaze had an unreadable expression as she pulled away and made her way back into the shadows. Feeling a shiver go through him, he made his way back to camp.

* * *

Adderpaw felt impatient for the next two sunrises. He wanted to see Riverpaw again, but knew he had to be careful. Done with training and the fresh-kill pile fully stocked, he had nothing to do. And he was utterly bored. Thrushkit and Lionkit were in the medicine den with a small fever so he couldn't play with them. Treepaw was on patrol with their mentors and father. He had asked to go with, but Darkfoot said that he worked hard enough and should save energy. Hopefully he'd be on the patrol at dusk.

His mood didn't help when he noticed Weaselpaw pad over to him. The ginger tom had his head up high, as if wanting to look down on him.

"Where's Treepaw? I have something to show her."

"On a patrol," Adderpaw flicked an ear. "Now go away."

"Aw, I thought we were friends," Weaselpaw pretended to whine at him. "I thought if I'm going to be mates with Treepaw in the future, it'd be great to be buddies with her annoying mouse-brain of a brother."

"I wouldn't be your friend if my life depended on it," his tail lashed as he glared at the tom. "If you hurt Treepaw at all, even on accident, you will lose an eye. Got that, snake-heart?"

"What a shame," Weaselpaw smirked as he leaned in so that their faces were close. "But remember one thing. You're not the only apprentice that can sneak out of camp. That gray tabby sure is pretty, isn't she?"

"What did you hear?" Adderpaw felt complete horror at the smug look on Weaselpaw's face, blue eyes full of contempt.

"I only saw," Weaselpaw bragged, trailing his tail along his back. "Get in the way of our relationship and I'll tell the Clan about your nighttime adventures. Good luck finding a way to explain yourself."


	9. Chapter 8

The last thing Adderpaw needed was Treepaw poking him awake, her voice high and demanding. He had been having a nice dream, chasing a gray tabby tail. He grunted as yet another jab hit him in his side.

"Wake up, Adderpaw!" She hissed at him. "Don't keep Gingerfur and Darkfoot waiting. Not only will they scold you, but I'll get snapped at as well."

"I'm up," he grumbled, getting to his paws. "What are we doing? Battle training? Hunting?"

"We're going to the Moonstone," Treepaw's eyes lit up. "Every apprentice has to. But I heard that we can't tell any cat what we see."

"But we have to eat traveling herbs," Adderpaw stuck out his tongue. "I heard how terrible they taste."

"It'll keep you both from getting hungry," Darkfoot poked his head in, dropping two piles of herbs. "Now hurry up and eat them. Gingerfur is waiting for us at the entrance. Do not keep us waiting."

"Yes, Darkfoot," Adderpaw sighed, taking in his pile. It took all of his control to not spit his out. Treepaw had the same face that he did, looking like she had been asked to swallow crow-food.

"Good."

"I told you," Treepaw gave him a friendly flick on the ear. "I definitely won't be hungry for a while. I wonder what StarClan will show us!"

"Me too," Adderpaw couldn't help how his stomach flopped. What if they showed his entire Clan in danger? Thrushkit and Lionkit might be close to apprenticeship, but they were still fragile. He shook his head. "Let's go."

* * *

None of the four cats said a word as they reached the WindClan border. Their scent was fresh as if they were still close. Would they get attacked by a patrol? Being cautious, Adderpaw slowly unsheathed his claws. He sighed in relief when he saw Treepaw doing the same. It made since to be extra careful on enemy grounds. The wind was blowing hard, making their fur ruffle but neither warrior complained and kept a steady pace. Adderpaw could feel anxiety flowing off his mentor in waves. Was that fear in Darkfoot's yellow gaze?

The wind carried a familiar scent, making the warriors stop. Treepaw and Adderpaw slowed their pace and made their way over to their mentors.

"Fox-dung," Darkfoot hissed. "I had hoped that we would have not have run into their patrols."

"They have no right to stop us," Gingerfur lashed her tail. "I do not appreciate being stopped like this. They've been following us for a while."

"Great."

Adderpaw looked up as three cats came over to them. His heart leaped when he saw that Riverpaw was one of them. He recognized Sharpthorn, the white tom from the camp. They were with a gray tabby she-cat that Adderpaw didn't recognize. Luckily her green gaze was friendly. Unlike Sharpthorn's dark yellow eyes.

"Just passing through to the Moonstone, Greenfoot," Darkfoot kept his eyes only on hers. Sharpthorn seemed to be smirking at him. Adderpaw wanted to beat that look off of him.

"I'll let you through," Greenfoot nodded. "StarClan light your path."

"Just don't steal any prey!" Sharpthorn glared at Darkfoot. "We wouldn't want any _dust_ on our kill."

"I'll rip that stupid look of your face," Darkfoot hissed at him. "I won't mind taking some fur back for my nest."

"Same to you."

"Come on," Gingerfur cut in the middle of the toms. "Let's go before it gets too late."

"Later," Riverpaw hissed quietly so that only Adderpaw could hear as the WindClan patrol made their way back to camp.

"Bye," he whispered back as Gingerfur exchanged words with Darkfoot. The scarred tom was shaking a bit.

* * *

Letting their quick stop hinder them a little, they took a bit to get to the Moonstone. But they had finally reached where they were going. The warriors entered Mothermouth first, leading Adderpaw and Treepaw along the way. They stopped as they made it to the stone. Adderpaw couldn't help but be amazed at the way it glowed, the moon lighting it up so that light reflected onto the walls and ground they were on.

"It's so cool," Adderpaw sighed.

"So pretty!" Treepaw looked to Gingerfur in excitement. "What do we do now? Oh, this is so exciting!"

"You press your nose against the Moonstone," Gingerfur rolled her eyes a little, but Adderpaw could see that she was amused by his sister's eagerness and joy. "I remember how alert I was when I first came here. I was shaking like a leaf."

"I felt no fear," Darkfoot shrugged. "But I guess I can see why some cats would feel this way. The light is stunning indeed, but we aren't here to admire this rock all day. It's just like she said. Put your nose and the rock and let StarClan lead you to sleep."

"But remember that you can't tell any cat what you saw," Gingerfur reminded them with a stern look in your eyes. "It's between you and our ancestors. I would not like you two to be the first two cats to break that rule. Got it?"

"Secret's safe with me," Treepaw unsheathed her claws. "Anyone who tries to make me tell them will get a stern clawing."

"I wouldn't want to tell either," Adderpaw admitted. "It's much too sacred. It's my special message and no one else's."

"Now do it," Gingerfur yawned. "I don't have moons to kill."

"Alright," Adderpaw sighed, placing his nose on the Moonstone before recoiling in shock. "That's so cold!"

"Get used to it," Darkfoot shook his head at his apprentice. "At least you don't have to do this in leaf-bare. As you can tell, not even greenleaf's heat can change how this cave feels."

Adderpaw took a deep breath, being a little more prepared for the cold feeling to touch his face. He closed his eyes and waiting for his body to relax as he felt the others settle down beside him. All he had to do was relax. . .


	10. Chapter 9

The sudden sharp cold was enough to make Adderpaw flinch. He opened his eyes in a panic as he realized that he was all alone. There were no other cats with him and the Moonstone was gone. He didn't know where he was. He was no longer in a cave, but in a forest. He couldn't see the moon, no stars to light up the skies. The trees seemed to stretch into the sky, darkness surrounding him as he got to his paws. The trees almost seemed broken, as if there was no life in them at all. Why was he here?

"Who are you?"

"Ah!"

Adderpaw swirled to see a rugged gray tabby she-cat, her glowing amber eyes harsh. He could see that her teeth were yellow, a lot of them broken. The smell coming from this cat was almost enough to make him retch. He had expected to meet cats with shiny fur and starry eyes. But there was nothing bright or friendly about this cat or place. The she-cat stepped forward so that he could smell her horrible breath.

"I asked you a question, kit. Who are you? And why are you here?"

"I'm Adderpaw," he slid his claws out as he felt the strength coming from the much bigger cat. "I don't even know where I am. Isn't this StarClan's grounds?"

"You must be dumber than I thought," the tabby chuckled to herself as Adderpaw felt offended by her rude words. "Do they not teach young kits about this place? Looks like sweet Poppytooth is gonna have to take you with me. No StarClan cat would dare step place in here. Not unless they wanted to lose their place there."

"I have to go," Adderpaw felt panic as what she said flooded through him. He had gone to a place were StarClan cats didn't even go. But he went to the Moonstone, the place were the Clans were _closest_ to them. How did he even end up here? "I didn't mean to come here at all."

"You must have something tying you here," Poppytooth stepped back and gave him a look of contempt. "Something that is stronger than the stars themselves. Something dangerous. But I guess I can't keep you tied with us just yet. I'll see you soon, young Adderpaw. I'm sure that we definitely will meet again."

"Yeah, sure. . ."

Adderpaw raced through the trees as soon as she was gone, desperate to get out of these dark woods. What was that old she-cat talking about? Why would he have any connection to this star-forsaken place? His father was the deputy! He froze as yet another cat emerged from the trees. But he didn't feel chills go down his spine at the sight of this cat. The orange and black spotted tom gave him a stern look.

"There you are. I looked all over for you," the starry warrior stepped over to him, his fur glowing. His footsteps left a bit of brightness behind with them, standing out on the dark ground. "I had no idea that an apprentice as young as you had ended up here. It makes no since! You should have appeared in our grounds. There must be something dark connecting you to this place. But I'm not even sure what that is. You don't have the darkened heart of a killer or the agony of a cat living their life fully on revenge."

"Does this mean those things will happen to me?" Adderpaw backed up a bit.

"It all depends on your decisions," the StarClan warrior bowed his head. "Say something happened to your sister and you blamed Weaselpaw for it. You could end up killing him in cold blood in your ignorance. You could kill him in revenge if he did do something bad to her. It's all up to what you do. But we aren't here to discuss your sister or your choices. Come with me. We must leave this forest before another finds us. Poppytooth might have let us live, but the others might not be so unforgiving. We can talk along the way."

"What is your name?" Adderpaw kept close to this tom as they briskly made their way around, the wind brushing against his fur as a familiar scent filled his head. He lifted his head a bit higher, but the air had changed, becoming a bit more frozen. Maybe the cold chilled the hearts of every cat who was in this forest. But just how many were there?

"I am Spottedface," the cat flicked his spotted tail as they kept going. "I was once a proud warrior of ShadowClan. I now watch over all of the new apprentices. Young cats are so delicate, as they are still learning their way. One wrong move and they can be corrupted. But I'll keep you all safe. Even if I have to die again."

"Again?"

"That's not important. What is important is the road in life that you have taken. It is a dangerous one, full of death and melancholy. You're young. You still have time to set yourself onto a better route."

"What do you mean?"

"Come here," Spottedface lead him to a new set of trees, fox-lengths away. These trees were beautiful, full of life. They glowed against the dark trees that they left. Once they were in the brighter forest, the StarClan cat sat down. "I cannot change your fate myself, but I bring you a warning."

"A warning?" Adderpaw felt the hairs on his pelt raise at the distant look on Spottedface's eyes. "Is my Clan in trouble?"

"Beware of the waves that flood the Clans. Only the Snake can face the rushing tide, but must fall to bring back the light."


	11. Chapter 10

Adderpaw let out a large yawn as he made his way out of the nursery. His paws still hurt a bit from how heavy the moss had become. Luckily for him, their Clan didn't have any elders. None of the warriors seemed exhausted enough to have to retire from regular warrior duties. Well unless Ashnose wanted to be released from his medicine cat duties. Speckledleaf had her name and seemed mature enough to take on the role by herself. But then again Adderpaw didn't know what made a cat fully ready for a task as big as that.

As for the nursery, Adderpaw didn't mind cleaning it. Lionkit and Thrushkit were getting bigger. Soon the siblings would be ready to join him and the other apprentices in the den. He couldn't wait. Having to deal with Treepaw and Weaselpaw's teasing while he was trying to sleep could be such a pain in the tail. It'd be nice to have someone to stay up with and talk with. Someone besides his sister and that annoying furball. He could teach them everything he was taught from Darkfoot.

His mentor had been silent the whole way back from the Moonstone, as if what he had shared with StarClan had been horrible. He seemed to be even grumpier that usual, snapping at Adderpaw whenever he asked a question and sending him off to care for the queens. He didn't mind cleaning the dens, but he would rather have been hunting or fighting. Something exciting to keep his mind off of the dark forest in his dreams. A place that he never wanted to go again. He never wanted to see that ragged she-cat again. He had forgotten her name, nothing coming to him at the thought of her. Her words still made no sense.

He couldn't be connected to the dark forest. There was no way. He must have stumbled there on accident. He still didn't know how, but it didn't matter. He would avoid that place like crow-food. Unless his destiny was cursed. Would he end up scarred? Dead?

"Oh, it feels so good out! I'm glad that it's so sunny. I thought that the sun would never stop hiding in the clouds. Hopefully it won't rain for a while. Rain makes my fur heavy as a tree!"

Adderpaw jumped back a little as Wolfpelt made her way out into the sunlight. The gray tabby she-cat's belly lightly swung as she stepped, looking as if she would have the kits soon. Maybe in a couple of sunrises or more. As good as kits would be at a time like this, the Clan had a surprisingly low amount of warriors. They needed more warriors and soon. But training and kits take time. Would he be old enough to take an apprentice when Wolfpelt's kits reached six moons? Maybe Timberstar herself would take an apprentice. He had heard Moleheart telling Gingerfur about that fact that Timberstar has only trained one cat. That cat being Dovefeather.

"I'm glad to see the sun," Adderpaw sighed. "You're getting closer to kitting, right? Wouldn't it be best to stay in the nursery until they are born?"

"You want to be cramped in that nest with a bundle of kits moving all around your stomach?" Wolfpelt narrowed her eyes teasingly. "Let me tell you, it isn't pretty. Honestly, I needed this wind."

"I wouldn't know that feeling."

"It's alright. It was silly of me to ask a tom that. But you'll do for now. Oh, don't give me that look, Adderpaw. Eventually you will have a mate who has many kits. Anything I tell you now will be good then."

"I don't have any cat in mind," Adderpaw brushed it off. _Any cat in camp, anyways._

"Eventually," she yawned, stretching as she clawed at the ground. "That she-cat might even be closer to you then you think. Trust me, Adderpaw. I'm good with this."

"Huh?"

"Adderpaw! Adderpaw!"

He turned to see Lionkit racing towards him, a rabbit in his mouth as his sister trailed behind him. As soon as his eyes met her blue ones, the white kit looked away, as if suddenly mesmerized by a butterfly that flew around the entrance to the warrior's den. Thrushkit tapped her paw on the ground quietly, as if thinking of what to say.

"Let me guess," Adderpaw looked down at Lionkit's excited amber gaze. "You want me to tell you what I saw at the Moonstone? And you think that bringing me a rabbit to share will be a way to persuade me."

"I don't know what you mean," the golden spotted tom blinked at him innocently. "We just wanted to share this with you as friends. Right, Thrushkit?"

"Y-y-yes," she mumbled.

"Nice try," Adderpaw shook his head, not believing them at all. "I'll happily share the rabbit with you two, but I can not tell what happened at the Moonstone. That's between me and StarClan."

"You got to talk to StarClan," Lionkit flicked his ears. "I wish I could talk to them. Right, Thrushkit?"

"Mmhmm."

"You gotta say more than that, sister. You know that Adderpaw wouldn't hurt you if you try being a little nosy."

"And I am not saying what I saw," Adderpaw shook his head at the kits. Thrushkit's ears and tail were down and she shifted from paw to paw, as if she had been order to give a huge speech to the whole Clan.

"Boo," Lionkit shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll stick with sharing this rabbit. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste. Look at Thrushkit. She really can eat."

"I haven't eaten all day," Thrushkit replied, going back to the fresh-kill. Adderpaw let out a small sigh as he joined in, relishing in the taste. He really did like rabbit more than anything else. It was a bit of a shame that they were mostly on WindClan territory. He knew that he'd getting a stern warning if he had stolen a rabbit from them. Unless he could ask Riverpaw if she could lure some of them out of WindClan and into ShadowClan. That way he could snag a few and not be caught breaking the code.


	12. Chapter 11

Adderpaw couldn't help but feel jealous as he sat around waiting for Timberstar to begin Weaselpaw's warrior ceremony. He had been kept up all night by the arrogant ginger tom bragging about it to Treepaw. Luckily his sister had shushed him after a while. The only good thing to come out of it was no longer having to share a den with the annoying furball. But it meant that he and Treepaw had to deal with all of the apprentice chores alone. He knew that Thrushkit and Lionkit were close to joining them, both of them growing more and more each day. He could see that both of them would be great hunters.

He noticed his father waiting for Timberstar near her den. The brown tabby was cleaning his own pelt, as if this was his ceremony. Oatleg gave a small nod once he noticed his son watching him. At least he'd be able to start trying to get closer to his father now that Weaselpaw didn't take up most of the deputy's time. The apprentice was waiting near him, his own fur neat and dust-free. Weaselpaw gave a smirk, irritating Adderpaw without a word. But Adderpaw straightened himself as Timberstar emerged from her den and jumped onto the Clanrock gracefully.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Clanrock for a meeting!"

Most of the Clan was already in camp when they were called, turning their heads towards their leader. Once all cats were in place, Timberstar welcomed Weaselpaw forward as she looked to Oatleg, "Do you feel that this apprentice is ready."

"He couldn't be more ready than he is now," Oatleg's voice was so full of pride that it made Adderpaw flinch a little. He had never seen his father that happy at anything that he had done. It was as if Weaselpaw was his son and not Adderpaw. He lightly dug his claws into the ground under him as he waited for himself to calm down.

"Excellent. Weaselpaw, step forward. I, Timberstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He had trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Weaselpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Weaselpaw lifted his nose in the air as he answered, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Weaselpaw, from this moment you will be known as Weaselpelt. StarClan honors your strength and dedication and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

The newly named Weaselpelt licked Timberstar's shoulder and took a couple of steps back as the Clan called out his new name, Treepaw being on of the loudest voices. Adderpaw joined in, but not with much energy in his voice. Weaselpelt didn't deserve his respect just because his name changed.

"Weaselpelt! Weaselpelt!"

While the other cats went over to give their thoughts and welcoming words to the ginger tom, Adderpaw headed back to the apprentices' den, still feeling a bit tired from training with Darkfoot. He had gotten much better at fighting, even managing to beat his mentor. The scarred tom had even said that he was proud of him.

 _I wish Oatleg was as proud of me that Darkfoot is. Darkfoot may as well be my father!_

Placing his head on his paws, Adderpaw waited for the voices outside of the den to go quiet so that he could get some rest. He didn't envy the new warrior, having to stay up all night alone, being unable to even speak. He knew that Treepaw would get her name with him, so he had nothing to worry about.

* * *

"Adderpaw, Wolfpelt had her kits!"

Adderpaw dropped the prey that he had collected onto the fresh-kill pile as he turned to face Lionkit and Thrushkit. Their tails were curled in excitement as they raced over to him.

"She did? Is she ok?" he knew that some she-cats often had trouble with birth, many not making it out alive. But they didn't seem sad, so everything must have gone well. He didn't doubt the skills of Ashnose and Speckledleaf.

"She's fine," Thrushkit purred. "She had the cutest kits! Three of them to be exactly."

"More littermates," Lionkit nodded. "Imagine all of us in the same den! Treepaw included."

"I might not be an apprentice for that long," Adderpaw licked the top of his head with a light voice. "I'll go see them now. What will you two do?"

"I don't know," Thrushkit admitted. "Dovefeather said that we should stay in camp so that we can give Wolfpelt's kits and her some room."

"Let's practice our moves so. I know something that would make ThunderClan shake in their fur," Lionkit raced off to hide himself near the warriors' den.

"Lionkit, wait up," Thrushkit nodded at Adderpaw before charging after her brother. He purred at the way she ran over to her littermate and flicked him on the ear with a paw. She seemed to be slowly but surely gaining more confidence. He knew that a strong mentor would help her more.

He kept his head low as he made his way into the nursery, having grown a lot since he started his apprenticeship. He could see Dovefeather grooming Wolfpelt, the white she-cat giving him a soft glance as he entered.

"You've come to see the kits?"

"Yes," he noticed Wolfpelt gazing down at her three new kits with pride.

"This one is Snakekit," she pointed to the black-furred tom. The gray tabby sisters had different eye colors. One blue and one green.

"The green-eyed one is Heatherkit. Dapplekit has blue eyes."

The small bundles mewed as they wiggled closer to their mother for milk. It was such an adorable sight to witness. He was stunned by the fact that he used to be that small moons ago. Would he have small kits of his own one day?


	13. Chapter 12

A strong shiver went through Adderpaw's entire body as he got to his paws, realizing that he woke up in that same dark place from when he visited the moonstone with his sister and their mentors. The only warmth he felt was the dead grass under him, the eerie fog surrounding him as if it was trying to smother him. He glanced around wildly as he tried to look for the StarClan cat that helped him out last time, but he was alone. All alone in an empty woods full of danger. Not exactly empty. His ear twitched as he ruffling from the distance, along with humming. He was used to Sweetfur's motherly hum whenever she used to groom him and Treepaw. That had been gentle and soothing. But not this new cat.

"Who's there?" Adderpaw called out, his claws shooting out on instinct, digging into the cold dirt as the humming continued. He took a step back when sharp blue eyes met his, the icy glare hard to glance away from. He had never seen such life-less eyes like these, such coldness. "What do you want? I can see you."

"You aren't dead."

The voice that came from behind the trees was scratchy as bark. This cat must have not spoken for quite a while. The owner of it crawled out of the shadows, her fur a dirty white, paws caked and coated in blood. Her deadly claws had different colored fur. Cats that she killed? Her long tail lashed as she hissed at Adderpaw, baring strangely white teeth.

"I'm not sure why I came here," he slowly backed up, noting how she moved with him, like a snake slithering before its prey. He didn't doubt the power of this dark cat, her scars standing out to him. Could he even take on his cat by himself? What happened if he died here? "Surely you might be able to help me."

"Oh, I can help you. Listen well, small apprentice," she growled at him. "I can help you die. I can assure you that it will be very very painful. But don't worry. Once the blood stops, so will the pain and then we can keep you here forever. Now-"

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that, apprentice."

The both of them froze as an older cat moved through the dead oaks, her black fur helping her fade in and out of sight. Her amber eyes held amusement as she stopped the other wicked cat from attacking him. Adderpaw felt his heart beat hard, not having it in him to fight them both off. But the older one wasn't aggressive, so maybe he was going to be alright. She was quietly waiting for the other to respond, settling down with no hesitation.

"Why not, Nightfeather? He dared to enter our land! I was just going to teach this little fleabag a lesson."

"He's done nothing wrong," Nightfeather explained in a calm voice. "Besides, he's a ShadowClan cat like you, Ice-"

"He still has no right to be here. He still believes in StarClan like any other boring apprentice," the white cat's ears were flat against her head. "His heart isn't dark enough to earn him a spot here."

"Things can change."

"Hmph!" the younger she-cat scoffed, before slithering away into the fog, her tail fluffed out. But once she was gone, he could relax a little. Adderpaw glanced back up at Nightfeather, the black she-cat's eyes closed as if she was dreaming.

"Come on," she opened her yellow eyes back up and placed her tail on Adderpaw's back like a mother with her kits. Her touch relaxed his ruffled pelt a little. "You must be with the other apprentices. I have yet to see you before. What was your name?"

"Apprentices?" he felt another tremor down his back as she lead him to a clearing full of young cats. Some familiar young cats, a sweet scent catching his nose. He suddenly remembered Riverpaw's invitation to spend time with some of the other apprentices. A place they could only get to while asleep. Riverpaw and the other apprentices from that gathering were there, some cats he didn't recognize. Was this where she was talking about?

Before he could speak up, Nightfeather pushed him towards them and opened her mouth to announce. "We have one more newcomer with us. Was there any other cat that we are waiting on?"

The others all turned, Riverpaw and Cinderpaw's tails rising as they realized who was with them. Hazelpaw and the other two apprentices looked his way, but soon went back to talking among themselves. The she-cats were ginger, both of them having identical green eyes. But Adderpaw noticed how one of them had shorter ears and a longer tail. The other had a small scratch down her side.

"Adderpaw, you made it," Riverpaw joined her tail with his as Cinderpaw circled around them. "You're the last one to show up!"

"Of course the kit is late," Hazelpaw licked his paws. "Just like every other ShadowClan cat."

He was going to argue back, but Nightfeather interrupted him to speak to them all, "Welcome young apprentices. You've all arrived a bit earlier than I was expecting. Now we just wait for the others."

Adderpaw sat down with Riverpaw as his skin crawled. Something wasn't right here. Why would they need to meet in this dark forest? He kept glancing at the sky as they waited. He couldn't read Riverpaw's eyes at all, but her tail was quivering in anticipation.

 _What have they gotten me into?_


	14. Chapter 13

Adderpaw kept himself alert as he sat with the other apprentices, not anticipation who they were waiting on. Riverpaw wrapped her tail with his, her soft blue eyes meeting his amber, the gray tabby not caring at all if the others could see their closeness. Cinderpaw had his head up, the gray tom's own blue gaze curious. Hazelpaw looked bored as he whipped his tail back and forth along the dead grass. The light brown tabby tom smirked at him and mouthed, kit. His sharp yellow eyes judged every action.

Adderpaw turned to the other apprentices, the two she-cats that he didn't know until now. Cherrypaw was the one with a longer tail and Emberpaw had the scar down her side. Cherrypaw looked like the nicer one as Emberpaw gave him a quick once-over, not looking impressed.

"How many more are coming?" Hazelpaw glanced back at Nightfeather. "Since we are the only apprentices that even bothered to show up."

"Only a few more," Nightfeather only smiled sweetly at the impatient tom. It was as if the black she-cat couldn't get angry. That was almost creepy. "You all must have worked so hard today. I forget how easily tired you young cats must be."

"You look like you died pretty young," Adderpaw spoke up, ignoring every cat turning to face him.

"I guess I was pretty young," she purred at his observation. "Oh, there they are! Hello there, Poppytooth."

Adderpaw's head whipped around at the familiar name, ice sliding down his spine at the sight of the rugged gray tabby. Her amber eyes shone as they met his, and a low chuckle rose from her throat.

"You're that one apprentice! What was it, Alderpaw? Applepaw? Sorry, dear, but Poppytooth isn't good with names," he could smell her horrible breath as she leaned closer to him.

"It's Adderpaw," Nightfeather claified. "Our newest guest."

"You know this kit, Poppytooth?" the cat behind her scoffed, his own gray tabby pelt sleekier than hers, but still ragged. His blue eyes were hollow, as if he had never had emotion in them in the first place.

"He visited our forest moons ago," Poppytooth ran her tail over his head, disgusting him. He squirmed as they spoke. "Poor thing was so confused. But to confuse this forest for StarClan? How could I forget something so precious? What would you have done, Ratwhisker?"

"I never would have let him escape alive," Ratwhisker huffed. "Most of you are too soft to truely punish anyone who invades our area."

"Says the one who was killed by a kittypet friend," the last one to arrive muttered as he strolled to the clearing. He must have been the leader of this place because everyone else but Adderpaw. He got to his own paws, not sure what else to do.

"I didn't expect Appletail to defend that fleabag so strongly," Ratwhisker dug his claws into the earth at a bad memory. "She should have been taken out along with the kittypet. But Frost had failed me."

"Enough," the leader flicked his broken tail at Ratwhisker. "You will do well to learn from each of us, Adderpaw. I expect great things from our newest member. Each of you find a partner."

Adderpaw watched the other cats pair up into groups of two, Riverpaw making sure to get with him. Hazelpaw and Emberpaw nodded at each other while Cherrypaw and Cinderpaw playfully flicked each other on the ear.

"I'm Mottledheart," the ginger and white tom introduced himself as Poppytooth trotted over to his side, looking like a shadow to the bigger tom. "Since we have a new member, how about we show him just how strong we'll make you young cats. Ratwhisker and Nightfeather, if you will?"

At his words, Ratwhisker launched himself at Nightfeather, claws out as he tossed her to the ground. He dug them in as he tried to bite at her throat. She moved out of the way and bit his ear, pushing her legs against his belly as she ripped at his soft flesh. Letting out a raged yowl, he raised his paw and swiped at her face, slicing near her right eye. She dogded all of his attacks, throwing the tom to the side and pouncing onto him, clawing at his belly, even after drawing blood. Adderpaw watched in horror as he started getting weaker, his body beginning to shake. But luckily she pulled away, a dark look in her yellow eyes. She licked her lips as Ratwhisker got up, shaking dirt and blood off of his pelt. He was glaring at Nightfeather, black fur caught up in his claws. Would she have killed him if they kept it up?

Only feeling fearful of the huge cats in front of him, Adderpaw had no choice but to run. He raced past the confused cats, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He had no idea where he was going, but he had to just run. But no matter how far he went, all he saw was those stupid oak trees, taunting and teasing him. Where was that StarClan tom when a cat needed him? But he didn't have time to think as footsteps pounded behind him. He swirled around, claws flashing out as he prepared for a Dark forest cat to find him. But he was surprised to see Riverpaw. He felt his hopes rise. She must have followed him to see if he was alright. They would find a way out of these woods and chose a different way of seeing each other.

But he hadn't been prepared for her to swipe at him. Letting out a confused cry, he backed up, shocked at the look of anger in her gaze. His face hurt after that hit, blood beginning to seep out of the cut.

"What in StarClan was that?" she hissed at him. "I thought that you wanted to get stronger. But you just ran away like a mouse! You'll make me look bad for even inviting your sorry pelt."

"You never told me that they practice with their claws unsheathed, Riverpaw," he spat back at her. "That was no ordinary practice. She could have killed Ratwhisker like that!"

"It would have been his fault for being so slow."

"Do they train to kill?" Adderpaw asked. "If any cat is too slow or injured, do they die?"

"Of course," Riverpaw scoffed. "How else do you get to be the best? You have to be willing to do anything for the Clan. And that includes being willing to kill."

"I can't support any cat that resorts to murder to solve all their problems." he lashed his tail. "I am never meeting in this dirty forest ever again."

"You can't be serious?" she glared at him, teeth flashing dangerously in the dark light. "You must be more mouse-brained than I thought. I thought that you were different. But you are just a coward. If you want to leave, fine. But if I ever see your face again, weither it is here or when we are awake, than you will suffer."

Adderpaw took another step back from the gray tabby, unable to believe that this was really Riverpaw. This had to be a different cat. This Riverpaw was cold-hearted and cruel. But his nose had to betray him. The scent of her was sweet. But now it only made his stomach twirl. She used his hesitation to attack, jumping at him.

He was startled awake from his dream, shaking and shivering his in nest. He shook his head, letting the familiar scent of Treepaw help him relax. His sister had a light smile on her face, so she must have been having a nice dream.

 _So much better than mine!_

He felt a smile creep up on his face as he brushed her back with his tail, knowing that she wasn't stuck in that forest with the rest of the apprentices. He knew that he wouldn't be able to show his face to Cinderpaw and the others again. He now knew that they were be trained by evil cats, so they weren't to be trusted. He should never have tried to make friends in other Clans. The Clans would always be divided.


End file.
